


Keep The Change ~ Mininoss

by ConfusedValkyrie



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Evan's a nice boi, I never see anything for this ship so why not, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possibly Slow Updates, Slow Build, Summer break, The guys just finished junior year, They're a bunch of nerds of course, oops minor angst, very minor tho so don't worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-09
Packaged: 2019-02-11 09:34:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12932487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfusedValkyrie/pseuds/ConfusedValkyrie
Summary: Evan has a big friend group. Craig is new to town and got a job at a corner store. What happens when these two meet?





	1. Lazy Morning Shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's back! It's that girl with the shitty one shots that got a surprising amount of reads! Anyway, I haven't been online here in a while due to a busy schedule and *shudders* writer's block. But I finally got an idea! And this time for a whole book. I hope y'all enjoy!

Evan was laying in bed, wondering if getting out of bed was worth the struggle when he could just let himself drift off again. No one could blame him, right? It was the first day of summer vacation after a very... "busy" junior year of high school. "Busy" meaning doing enough homework for three people on very limited time. Gotta love the educational system. He let out a small groan just thinking about it. To Evan's disappointment, this groggy and slightly painful thought process gave his body time to actually wake up.

  
One slightly overdramatic sigh later, Evan found himself noticing the scent of eggs and sausage wafting from the kitchen. So maybe getting up is worth it, he considered with a small chuckle. Making the great effort of rolling over to get out of bed, Evan was confronted with something truly unholy and evil. Sunlight shining directly into his eyes. Squeezing his eyes shut quickly, Evan stumbled over to the window to pull the curtain shut before he went blind. Carefully opening his eyes to let them adjust to the now safe amount of lighting, Evan went through his morning routine with a smile. He had a feeling that this was going to be a pretty good day.

  
After a few minutes, Evan strolled into the kitchen and found his mom sitting at the table, eating from the plate in front of her, and another plate was at his chair. Both plates were covered with eggs and breakfast sausage, of course. Evan's nose was never wrong. His mom looked up from her plate with a smile. "Morning! I wasn't sure if you wanted a coffee or something else, so I left that to you," she explained with a gesture towards the other plate. "But I did handle the food. Figured you'd like a little something special for your first day off!"

  
Evan blinked a couple times before responding. "It looks amazing! But how did you know I'd be awake?" This seemed like another demonstration of the mysterious Mom Sense that often knew exactly what Evan was up to. It was a bit spooky sometimes. He tried to forget the many times he learned about it the hard way back in middle school as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

  
His mom laughed before replying, "Honestly, I didn't. But when I was your age, one of the few things guaranteed to get me out of bed was the smell of food. Looks like it runs in the family!"

  
"Oh yeah, you were young once," Evan teased while taking his seat.

  
But of course his mother was able to shoot back quickly. "Indeed. Just like how one day you'll be an old geezer just like me."

  
"Touché," Evan muttered before shoving some scrambled eggs into his mouth.

* * *

  
After the amazing breakfast and minor sass-off, Evan decided to kick back and watch a little TV. He had to conserve his energy for Him and the guys were going to pull an all-nighter and play some games together. Well, the guys that could. Evan's friend group was a bit big, and getting everybody together to do something was difficult. Some of them would have to work, or go see family, or something else pretty important, so they just usually made simple plans that could involve whoever. Like gaming, and regret-inducing all nighters!

  
So far it was going to be Evan, Brock, Tyler, Marcel, and Daithi, who they usually just referred to by his last name: Nogla. It was easier to say, and Nogla really didn't seem to care. He was surprisingly chill for a big shouty Irishman. But that wasn't what was important at the moment. This plan had one issue. There was probably only going to be the five of them, so they'd be stuck with a random on their team. Oh well, they'll survive. Maybe someone else will get a sudden opening in their schedule and be able to join them? Not very likely, but possible.

  
His mother's voice brought him out of his thoughts. "Evan?"

  
"Yeah mom? What's up?"

  
"They need me at work, so I'll be gone until about supper. Will you be fine here on your own?" She was a doctor, so things like this happened sometimes. It sucked, but it paid pretty well, and she loved her job. Evan never had any problems with it, but she always made sure he was okay before leaving.

  
"No prob. I'll probably make a run to the store later for snacks for tonight, but otherwise I'll be chilling all day," Evan replied with a shrug.

  
His mom smiled, knowing that Evan took great care of things while she was gone. "If you do hit the store, do you think you could grab me an iced tea? You know, those new cherry-lime ones in the big cans that you hate so much? I can pay you back when I get home." Evan knew exactly what she was talking about. Those things were nasty, whose idea were they anyway?

  
"Ew. Those," He answered, twisting his face up in mock disgust. "I can grab you one, but I'm definitely not drinking any myself." She loved to try to get him to have a sip, it was just one of the many ways they would fool around.

  
"Thanks hon," she replied sweetly before kissing him on the cheek quickly. "I gotta go now, love ya!"

  
"Love you too!" Evan called after her as she sped to the car. He waved before closing the door back up.

  
Evan decided he would hit the store after lunch, no need to rush after all. He grabbed a book and pulled up a playlist on his phone before kicking back for some major relaxation.

* * *

  
Okay. Evan totally just accidentally passed out for an hour or so. He is willing to admit it. But, it was a very nice nap. He felt so great after waking up and stretching. Seriously, good naps are a gift that should always be appreciated. Checking the time on his phone, Evan saw that it was a little after noon, and because he wasn't especially hungry, he decided to just grab a good ol' PB and J before heading down to the corner store.

  
Even if Evan wasn't very hungry, the poor sandwich never stood a chance. He was out the door in 5 minutes flat, with high spirits and a bit of regret for not grabbing some shades. He noticed he had a few texts from Tyler, so he answered on the walk to the store.

  
Tyler: Hey nerd  
Tyler: Hello?  
Tyler: Evan?  
Tyler: Okay you're fucking sleeping aren't you  
Tyler: Better now than during our hangout i guess  
Tyler: Anyway i got bad news  
Tyler: We got a confirmed no on all possibilities for a sixth player  
Tyler: Maybe we can just piss off the randos until they leave lol  
Evan: great idea  
Tyler: Oh wow you're not dead  
Evan: only on the inside  
Tyler: Calm down there edgelord  
Evan: fine  
Evan: hey maybe i can use my amazingly shitty social skills to find someone to play with us  
Tyler: I doubt it lol  
Tyler: You'd have to pull off some sort of miracle  
Evan: we'll see ;)  
Tyler: Please never send me a winky face again  
Evan: ;) ;) ;)  
Tyler: Ok bye

  
Evan smiled as he finished his conversation and stuffed his phone back in his pocket. Perfect timing too, he was just turning the corner to the store. It was too bad that none of the others would be able to join. But hey, maybe Evan could pull off a miracle, and prove Tyler wrong as he loved to do.


	2. When Nerds Meet

Entering the store with a smile on his face, Evan inhaled the familiar scent of cheap air conditioning and slightly undercooked hot dogs. This store had been around longer than him, and he knew it like the back of his hand. He practically strutted through the aisles, checking for sales and wondering which of the ladies was working today. They both knew Evan's mother, and always chuckled to themselves when he walked in like he owned the place; it was somewhat of a running joke between them.

Finally deciding on a big bag of all dressed chips and three energy drinks (in case of difficulty staying awake), Evan headed towards the back fridges where the dreaded iced teas were. Before walking away, he noticed that they were on sale: 2 for 2$. Evan grinned to himself and grabbed another; he'd just tell his mom they were on him, it was the least he could do after she'd made such a nice breakfast that morning. Going towards the counter he nearly stopped in his tracks when he realized something else.

That wasn't either of the ladies.

"Hi, how can I help ya?" asked a young man standing behind the counter. Evan heard a very faint accent in his voice, but couldn't quite figure out where it was from. He looked to be the same age as Evan, and was slightly taller. His hair was short, and dyed a silvery gray on top of his head, with the natural brown colour showing behind his temples. With an eyebrow raising higher above his glasses, he questioned Evan. "Well, aren't you gonna put the stuff down so I can ring it up?" The stranger smiled to show that he meant no offense.

Evan blushed slightly from embarrassment as he placed the items on the counter. "Sorry, I was just a little put off. I know the girls that work here pretty well, so I guess seeing someone else behind the counter startled me a bit." He shook his head as he let out a light laugh.

The guy laughed with him before responding while ringing things up. "I don't know them very well myself. I just moved here a few months ago. My mum thought it would be a good idea for me to get a job; she thought that maybe it would help me make friends." He shrugged as Evan paid for things.

"How's that been working out?" Evan inquired.

The stranger behind the counter frowned. "Not too well considering my zero friends."

Evan felt bad for the guy, he was new to town and didn't have anyone to hang out with, but he seemed so nice! He gave the guy a smile as warm as the weather outside. "Well maybe I can be the first," he offered.

The guy brightened visibly. "Really? That be pretty great!" Evan was glad he could help this guy; no one should have to go through life without some friends by their side. "My name's Craig," the guy said while offering his hand for a shake. "Nice to meet you..."

"Evan," the man himself finished for Craig. He thought for a second while grabbing his bags of discount loot from the counter. "Hey Craig?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you play COD?"

Craig's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Damn right I do! What do you play on? Maybe we can add each other."

"Xbox," Evan replied.

By some sorcery, Craig's face got even brighter. "I play on Xbox too! What's your gamertag?"

The two exchanged gamertags and numbers while Evan explained what he and some of the others had planned that night. Turns out Craig had the day off the next day as his job was only part-time. He was glad to complete the team of six for the night.

As Evan was making his way toward the door, Craig noticed he had forgotten something. "Evan!" he called.

The nerd in question turned around. "Yeah dude?"

"What about your change?"

"Eh. Don't worry about it."

Craig was highly confused. "Are you sure? It's like four bucks!" What sane person left that much change at a corner store?

Evan just shrugged. "You're new in town and working a part time job. I don't see anything weird about a generous tip slash gesture of friendship." He smirked while Craig looked back down at the change in his hand. "Just keep the change."

When Craig looked back up, Evan was gone.

* * *

 

When Evan got back home he quickly got the drinks and chips put away and whipped out his phone, shooting off a message to the group chat.

Group: Gaggle of dumb nerds

Evan: hey tyler  
Evan: do you believe in miracles? :)  
Tyler: No  
Tyler: There's no way!  
Marcel: Whats this about  
Evan: it's about me being the banisher of randos  
Nogla: wat are ye talking about  
Brock: I think Evan may be implying he found a sixth person for tonight.  
Tyler: A bit more than implying I think  
Marcel: ^^  
Nogla: :0  
Brock: Great! Just try not to rub it in Tyler's face too much.  
Tyler: He doesn't believe there is a too much when it comes to rubbing things in my face  
Evan: :p  
Brock: How about both of you just try not to be dicks to each other?  
Marcel: Yeah listen to mom  
Nogla: ^^  
Evan: lol fine  
Tyler: Ok mom...  
Brock: Hey, it's not my fault I'm the only one with any sense of responsiblity.  
Nogla: I'm responsable!  
Tyler: -_-  
Nogla: Most of the time!  
Evan: -___-  
Nogla: Sometimes?  
Marcel: -________-  
Nogla: Ok I get da point!  
Brock: lmao

They continued on like this for a while, just idly chatting and poking fun at each other. It was a nice way for them to pass the time. Eventually, Evan got around to giving the others Craig's info so they could add him. He decided he would just text Craig when they were getting ready to start since he didn't know when he got off of work.

Evan was glad the guys were okay with the idea of playing with someone new; they had been a tight group for a while now. Not just these five, all of them, so the idea of introducing someone to the group could be a little daunting. But Evan was confident that they'd love Craig.

* * *

 

When Craig got home from work, it was almost 7pm. "I'm home!" he announced.

"In here Craig!" he heard his mum call from the kitchen.

Craig entered the kitchen to see her grabbing ingredients out for supper. "Hey mum. Need any help?"

"Thanks hun, but you should know I'm a professional!" she declared proudly. "How was work today?"

"It was great! I actually managed to make a friend," he answered with a wide grin.

"Really? That's wonderful!"

Craig sat down and told his mother all about his encounter with Evan while she cooked. She told him she was fine with him staying up all night, as long as he was sure he had no work the next day, and he wasn't too loud while his father was working in his office. Craig wasn't worried about the latter; his dad would probably be done before they started. He made sure his mum understood that, and the fact that he had tomorrow off.

While Craig ate, he was unable to keep a small smile off his face. He couldn't wait to play with Evan and his friends. No one had been so nice to him since he moved to town, so being invited to join their plans was practically a miracle in Craig's eyes. He just hoped he got along well with the others.


	3. All Night? All Right!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reads and kudos so far! I wasn't sure if this story was going to do well, and it's been so fun to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter! <3

A couple of hours after supper, Craig was attempting to kill a bit of time by channel surfing at the speed of light. He eventually stopped on some comedy from the 90's. Barely paying any attention, he let his thoughts wander. Tonight was probably going to be a blast, but what if Evan and his friends didn't like Craig once they got to know him? What if he wasn't as good at the game as them? Would they resent him for holding them back? Craig forced those thoughts down while idly fingering the coins in his pocket. Evan seemed like a great guy, so why would he associate himself with people who were assholes, or too serious? But there were always those possibilities...

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Craig got up and stretched before heading to his room to double check that everything was working smoothly. He had been so positive earlier, but these thoughts had a way of sneaking up on him. They were the reason he wasn't the best at making friends; he could be bright and positive when around others, but the gloomy thoughts always caught up when he was alone. If Craig thought like that for too long, he often lost motivation to become friends with someone. But he didn't want to let it happen this time. Evan was the first person to actually try to become his friend since he moved, so there was no way he or his friends could just suddenly hate him! Craig held onto that thought as he checked everything.

Partway through his headset check, Craig was interrupted by a text from Evan. He picked up his phone with a nervous smile on his face and took a deep breath before answering.

Evan: what's up?  
Craig: the sky  
Evan: what a smartass  
Evan: i like it  
Craig: lol  
Evan: anyway  
Evan: we're gonna start soon, so marcel should be adding you to the group chat as we speak

Sure enough, while Evan was still typing, Craig got a notification saying he had been added.

Craig: i just got the notification  
Evan: sweet!  
Evan: brock will set up the party and voice chat in about 20 minutes so make sure you're ready  
Craig: roger that  
Craig: im in the middle of checking everything anyway so good timing  
Evan: lol

Craig finished setting his stuff up then jumped into the group chat. His excitement was starting to overtake his anxiety, and he was going to put that energy to good use!

Group: Gaggle of dumb nerds

Tyler: Are you losers ready?  
Brock: Yes!  
Evan: yes sir!  
Marcel: Yep  
Nogla: not yet  
Craig: im ready  
Marcel: Nogla when are you ever ready  
Tyler: Wait  
Tyler: That was one too many replies  
Evan: lol  
Marcel: Great observation  
Nogla: Oh! the noob's here i think  
Brock: Don't call him a noob Daithi.  
Nogla: oh. sorry craig.  
Craig: its ok :)  
Tyler: I hope you're as cool as Evan says you are  
Tyler: He wouldn't shut up about you lol  
Evan: hey! i had to make sure you were all on board with the idea!  
Marcel: Whatever  
Marcel: Thats not important right now  
Brock: You're right.  
Brock: I'm getting ready to send you all the invites.  
Evan: wait. what about nogla?  
Nogla: wat about me?  
Craig: i think he means that we should see if youre ready  
Evan: ^^  
Tyler: Are you ready?  
Nogla: Oh! yeah i`ve been ready for a coupla minutes now  
Marcel: Omfg

It was then that the invites were sent. Apparently Brock wanted to avoid pre-game arguments so that Craig wouldn`t be uncomfortable.

Craig happily accepted and put his headset on, hearing everyone else join in. They made sure everyone could hear each other before moving on to introductions; Evan handled those since he was the first to meet Craig.

"First up, we have Brock, who I'm pretty sure is everybody's mom."

"I can live with that. Someone's gotta stop the arguments!" Brock put in with a light laugh. Craig found that Brock's laugh was nice; not one that makes you laugh like it's funny, but one that makes you smile.

"Then there's Daithi," Evan continued. "Or as we call him, Nogla. He's our resident potato, and doesn't have the best sense of time."

"True," Nogla agrees. Craig can almost hear the shrug in his voice, along with a pretty heavy Irish accent.

Evan let out a little chuckle before continuing. "Next there's Tyler. He's a dick, until you get to know him. Then he's almost tolerable!"

"I-" There's a second of silence on Tyler's end. "Cannot disagree with that.." This causes them all to have a small fit of laughter. From what Craig had seen and heard so far, Tyler almost seemed to have an older brother attitude towards the others.

"And finally," Evan went on once they recovered. "Marcel! He may seem chill now, but once he really gets going, it's best to stay out of his way."

"Consider yourself warned, kiddo," Marcel declared in mock seriousness. It would have been convincing if he hadn't started laughing again afterwards.

Once everyone had settled down fully again, Tyler had a question. "What mode are we doing tonight?" he asked, voice full of excitement. "The usual?"

Brock answered before anyone else had the chance. "I say we let Craig choose since it's his first time playing with us."

"Alright," Evan put in. "Seems fair. What'll it be Craig?"

Craig thought for a second before responding. "How about Search and Destroy?"

Tyler let out a cheer. "You read my mind, dude!"

They jumped into a lobby and gamed the night away. Through a lot of small talk and jokes, Craig got to know and like the guys. Everyone got along and eventually stopped caring about winning. They cheered at their successes, and laughed at failures, both theirs and the enemys'. There wasn't much rage, even from the more volatile of the guys.

Once morning came and the sun rose, Nogla had already been passed out for half an hour and the others were ready to join him. They said their goodbyes and disconnnected. Before Craig laid down he got a text from Evan.

Evan: that was great dude! i'm sure the others loved ya  
Craig: really  
Evan: yeah!  
Craig: great  
Craig: i had so much fun  
Evan: i'm gonna head to bed now. i'm exhausted  
Craig: oof same

Before he could put his phone down, however, he got another message. This one from... Tyler?

Tyler: Dude that was great! Feel free to join us again any time

Not expecting that, Craig shot back a quick "thanks" before laying down. He passed out almost instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops, a very small amount of angst happened.


End file.
